One of the most photographed birds on the Sea Ranch is the Great Blue Heron. With its subtle blue-gray plumage, this stately bird often stands motionless as it scans for prey or wades belly deep with long, deliberate steps. They may move slowly, but Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher. In flight, look for this widespread heron’s tucked-in neck and long legs trailing out behind. Sea Ranch photographer Allen Vinson spotted this one, right. 

The Sea Ranch is home to a diverse flora, extending from the ocean strand, bluffs and sand dunes to the headlands, coastal and upper terraces and finally to the redwood and fir forests. Over 480 species, subspecies and varieties are represented, nearly 70% of which are native. Sea Ranch wildlife is equally diverse, abundant and captivating. Common offshore species include both resident and migratory whales, sea lions, dolphins, harbor seals, fish, abalone and other plentiful sea life, while tide pools support sea urchin, shrimp and a diverse array of convergent marine life.  

With their iridescent emerald feathers and sparkling rose-pink throats, Anna's Hummingbirds are more like flying jewelry than birds. Though no larger than a ping-pong ball and no heavier than a nickel, they make a very strong impression. In their thrilling courtship displays, males climb up to 130 feet into the air and then swoop to the ground with a curious burst of noise produced through their tail feathers. Sea Ranch photographer Paul Brewer caught this beautiful Anna's Hummingbird just as it was about to feed, right.

Sea Ranch photographer Craig Tooley captured this pileated woodpecker (right) feeding on the ground. These are one of the biggest, most striking forest birds you will find; nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming red crest. Look and listen for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants. The nest holes they make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats and pine martens. 

Although the bald eagle is our national bird (and featured on The Great Seal of the United States) these large, powerful birds of prey are a rare sighting almost anywhere in North America. They are also a rare sighting on the Mendonoma Coast but two have been spotted just north of Sea Ranch. North Coast photographer Kenny Gentile snapped several photos of this one (right) perched on a tree on the west side of the highway. 

If you are a ‘birder,’ you can find over 200 species right outside Vista Del Mar's doors. Many residents of The Sea Ranch are avid naturalists and maintain lists of area sightings. In season, you are likely to see Tundra swans returning to the Garcia River flood plains. They're a spectacle to behold, whether singularly or in large flocks. Tundra swans spend winter on the water and sleep afloat. They are strong and speedy swimmers that take to the air with a running start, clattering across the water's surface with wings beating. In flight, the rhythmic flapping of their wings produces a tone that once earned them the name "whistling swan." Photo (right) courtesy of Gregg Thompson. 

Sea Ranch photographer Siegfried Matull took this great photo (right) capturing the intense colors of the male turkey as he came out of a Sea Ranch hedgerow. Despite their weight (11 to 24 lbs), wild turkeys--unlike their domesticated counterparts--are agile fliers. On your visit to Sea Ranch, you are likely to see more than one of these guys because the ideal habitat allows them to fly beneath the canopy top and find perches. They usually fly close to the ground for no more than a quarter mile. 

The burrowing owl is a rare sighting at Sea Ranch but it can sometimes be seen hunting for insects in the day or night. It often perches near its hole; when approached too closely, it will bob up and down and finally dive into its burrow rather than take flight. It usually claims burrows that have been abandoned by prairie dogs or pocket gophers but is quite capable of digging its own. Sadly, recent reports show that this amusing owl is declining in population in California. 

The Sea Ranch has a fairly stable population of between 150 and 200 Pacific harbor seal (phoca vitulina richardsii). These furry friends (always with spots on their fur) can be seen right off the deck of Vista Del Mar. The coloring can be dark with lighter spots  or light with darker spots. They are not vocal animals and only vocalize as pups, but adults can hiss and threaten with movement or posturing or flipper waving. Though they are normally found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the northern hemisphere, the one pictured here obviously enjoys a festive Hawaiian lei made of seaweed. Photo (right) courtesy of Sea Ranch photographer Rozann Grunig. 

Western bluebirds can often be seen enjoying Vista Del Mar's bird feeders and other places near the Sea Ranch bluffs. Deep blue, rusty and white, the males are considerably brighter than the gray-brown, blue-tinged females. This small thrush nests in holes in trees or nest boxes and often gathers in small flocks to feed on insects or berries while giving their quiet, chortling calls. Photo (right) courtesy of Sea Ranch photographer Rozann Grunig. 

Graceful American white pelicans can often be seen around Vista Del Mar as they migrate from inland lakes and waterways to overwinter on the coast. These pelicans fish differently than brown pelicans; they sit on the surface of the water and lower their head to scoop up fish while brown pelicans dramatically plunge dive. The American white pelicans are graceful fliers, using thermals to help them on their way. Sea Ranch photographer Rozann Grunig beautifully captured these in flight (right).

The Sea Ranch depends on some 600 sheep and goats to mow the fields and the common areas. This practice (called prescribed grazing) and the emerging land-management technique is increasingly replacing the noisy and pollution-spewing machines that had once displaced the animals. Although sheep rancher Leland Falk usually requires top performance from his ruminants, he does allow the requisite union break such as this fellow captured by Sea Ranch photographer Rozann Grunig. To see today's location of the sheep at Sea Ranch, check out this link.